In an influential paper, Bryden and MacRae [(1989). Dichotic laterality effects obtained with emotional words. Neuropsychiatry, Neuropsychology, and Behavioral Neurology, 1, 171-176] introduced a dichotic listening task that allowed for the assessment of linguistic and prosodic processing asymmetries using the same stimuli. The task produces a robust right ear advantage (REA) for linguistic processing (identifying a target word), and a left ear advantage for emotional processing (identifying a target prosody). Here, we adapted this paradigm to determine whether and how the presence of emotional prosody might modulate hemispheric asymmetry for linguistic processing. Participants monitored for a target word among dichotic stimuli consisting of two different words, but spoken in the same emotional prosody-neutral, angry, happy, sad, or fearful. A strong REA was observed when the words were spoken in neutral prosody, which was attenuated for all the emotional prosodies. There were no differences in the ear advantage as a function of valence or discrete emotion, indicating that all emotions had similar effects. Findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the right hemisphere is better able to process speech when it carries emotional prosody. Implications for understanding of right hemisphere language functions are discussed.

Purpose Online health resources (websites, apps and social media) may be an adjunct to provide self-management support for people with persistent or chronic pain. Endorsement of online health resources by health care providers is crucial for uptake by end-users. The aim of this study was to investigate the current practices of New Zealand (NZ) health care providers in recommending online resources for persistent pain management, and to identify what factors predict health care providers’ recommendations and to explore the common concerns. Methods An online survey of NZ health care providers (ie, chiropractors, general practitioners, nurses, occupational therapists, osteopaths, physiotherapists, psychologists, specialist consultants, and social workers) involved in the management of persistent pain was conducted. The recruitment strategy was tailored to each occupation via occupation-specific professional organizations, and by approaching multidisciplinary professional organizations. Results Data from 213 health care providers were used in the final analysis. Most of the health care providers were physiotherapists (n=71), followed by chiropractors (n=39) and general practitioners (n=31). Fifty three percent (111/210) of health care providers reported currently recommending online resources. A multivariate logistic regression model showed that specialist interest in treating pain (OR=3.84; 95% CI: 1.66, 8.87; P =0.002), and level of confidence in recommending online resources (OR=1.05; CI: 1.04, 1.07; P <0.001), positively influenced recommending online resources. The majority of the health care providers (65%, 138/213) were concerned about the safety issues related to the risk of patients misinterpreting online information and to the lack of evidence-based information. Conclusion Half of the health care providers surveyed reported recommending online resources, which may suggest limited confidence in recommending, or knowledge of, existing online resources for persistent pain management. Ongoing education for health care providers on evidence-based online resources is required to recommend online resources as a self-management support tool for people with persistent pain.

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Introduction Current best practice recommends group-based pain management programmes for long-term improvements in persistent pain-related disability. However, there are barriers for people to access in-person delivered pain management programmes in Aotearoa. Aims To develop a co-designed, culturally responsive, online group-based pain management programme (iSelf-help) for people with persistent pain. Methods A modified participatory action research (PAR) framework was used to co-design contents and cultural-appropriateness of iSelf-help. The PAR team included: (1) seven end-users living with persistent pain, who had previously attended an in-person delivered group pain management programme, (2) two pain management clinicians, (3) two health researchers, (4) two digital health experts, and (5) a health literacy expert. Five meetings were held with the PAR group and a Nominal Group Technique was used to rank order the preferred features of content delivery. In parallel, to ensure cultural appropriateness of iSelf-help, three focus groups (n = 15) were held with Māori (the Indigenous population of Aotearoa) living with persistent pain in collaboration with a Māori community health trust. All contents were reviewed by a Māori Health literacy expert and core contents were translated into Te Reo (Māori language). All contents were finalised by iterative discussion among the PAR team and consultation with Māori stakeholders. The preliminary version of iSelf-help was pilot tested with the PAR group participants and Māori community members living with persistent pain and their feedback was included. The iterative co-design process occurred over a period of nine months. Results The finalised version of iSelf-help included a total of 130 resources organised in to 12 content relevant online modules plus a dedicated welcoming page and an online community forum. Each module included: short videos, animations explaining main concepts, patient stories, written content to accompany visual content, podcasts of relaxation techniques, illustrated texts, and evidence-summaries. A dedicated module of videos demonstrating cardiovascular and strengthening exercises of varying intensity was also included. Conclusions This is the first co-created, culturally appropriate, on-line group pain management programme for people with persistent pain, developed in Aotearoa. The next step is to evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of iSelf-help compared to in-person delivered pain management programme.

Objectives: To explore healthcare professionals’ views on, and attitudes, towards recommending online resources for persistent pain self-management. Methods: This study was the qualitative phase of a two-phase mixed method study. Thirty-one New Zealand health professionals involved in the management of persistent pain were interviewed via focus groups and individual interviews. Data were analysed using the general inductive approach. Results: The major themes were as follows: (1) risks and limits of online information outweigh benefits, (2) a blended model, of online resources with healthcare professional support, could work, (3) only trustworthy resources can be recommended, (4) need for personalisation and (5) perceived barriers to adoption. Conclusion: Online resources were perceived as a useful adjunct to support pain self-management; however, due to potential risks of misinterpretation and misinformation, healthcare professionals proposed a ‘blended model’ where curated online resources introduced during face-to-face consultations could be used to support self-management. Participants needed ‘trustworthy online resources’ that provide evidence-based, updated information that is personalised to clients’ health literacy and cultural beliefs. Practice implications: Training for healthcare professionals on critical appraisal of online resources or curation of evidence-based online resources could increase recommendation of online resources to support pain self-management as an adjunct to in-person care.